Grave-vault.



No. 860,282. PATENTED JULY 16, 1907.

- W. A. CREW.

GRAVE VAULT.

APPLIOATION FILED APB. 1a. 1900.

UNITED s Amns a ENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. CREW, OF SALISBURY, MARYLAND.

GRAVE-VAULT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. CREW, a citizen of the'United States,residing at Salisbury, in the county of \Vicomico, State of Maryland,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grave-Vaults; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to grave vaults, and has for its object toprovide a grave vault constructed of interchangeable sections.

A further object is to provide a grave vault constructed of cement orother plastic material in such a manner that the same may be readilytransported.

Still further objects consist in undercutting the lower edges of theinner faces of the side and end blocks to form inclined, overhangingshoulders, which form a more perfect retaining means for the cement ofthe joint between said blocks and the base blocks; in the formation oftenons on the base and cover blocks, the side and end blocks fittingagainst the shoulders formed by said tenons, thus preventing any inwardmovement of said blocks due to the pressure of the earth thereagainst;and in the provision of an improved rabbet joint between the adjacentsections of the cover, sides, ends, and base of the vault.

With these objects in view, the invention consists in the construction,combination and arrangement of parts all as hereinafter fully described,pointed out in the claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a vault constructed inaccordance with this invention, the vault cover being removed. Fig. 2 isa longitudinal vertical section with the cover in place. Fig. 3 is atransverse vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The same parts are designated by similar reference numerals in theseveral views.

The vault is shown as comprising the base or main blocks 7, end blocks8, side blocks 9, and top or covering blocks 10. The several blockswhich compose the vault base are provided with end tenons 11 while theend blocks of said base are, in addition, provided at their outer edgeswith the side tenons 11, there being a groove 12 formed in the upperface of each tenon, the several grooves in the tenons ill mating whenthe sections or blocks of the base are put together, and the grooves inthe side tenons 11 connecting the ends of the two long grooves thusformed and forming the remaining sides of the completed rectangulargroove as indicated in dotted lines in Fig, 1. The inner edges of saidbase blocks are rabbeted so as to interlock with each other, and to thisend one face of each block is provided with a single longitudinallyextending curved projection or shoulder, while its Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed April 18, 1906.

Patented July 16, 1907.

Serial No. 312,452.

opposite face has a single longitudinal concave depression or grooveformed therein, the depth of each groove, however, being less than theoutward extent of the corresponding projection or shoulder, so that,when two sections or blocks are interlocked, there will be an inner andan outer space 13 therebetween, owing to the fact that theircorresponding side edges do not contact with each other. The grooves orspaces so formed serve as seats for a cement or other sealingcomposition.

The end blocks 8 are constructed with flat upper and lower faces, andare provided on their side edges with curved projections 14, similar tothose shown on the base blocks.

The inner face of each end block is under-cut adjacent its lower edge toform a shoulder 15, the undercutting being extended upwardly a slightdistance beyond the lower edge of said shoulder, as at 16.

The side blocks 9 are each under-cut in similar fashion to present theshoulders 17, and are likewise formed with the flat upper and lowerfaces. The adjacent edges of said side blocks are rabbeted in a likemanner with the base blocks, forming the inner and outer grooves 18. Theouter side blocks are provided on their inner faces with curved groovesor depressions 19 adapted to receive the projections 14 in the endblocks 8, the depth of said depression being less than the outwardextent of the projections, thus resulting in the formation of the innerand outer grooves 20 between said end blocks and the adjacent or outerside blocks.

Owing to the formation of the tenons upon the main or base blocks, theside and end blocks, which are positioned with their undercut portionsagainst the shoulders formed by such tenoning will be prevented from anyinward movement due to the pressure of dirt thereagainst.

As will be seen from Fig. 2, the shoulders 15 and 17 formed on the sideand end blocks 8 and 9 respectively are disposed a slight distance abovethe upper face of the base blocks 7, so that a slight space existsbetween the under face of said shoulder and the upper face of said baseblocks in which a layer of cement may be inserted, the dependingformation of said shoulders serving as a further means for retaining thecement in place. It will also be apparent from the same figure that whenthe side and end blocks are set up in place upon the vault base, theflat under faces of said blocks will rest directly over said groove andoffer a surface to which the filling will readily adhere.

The top or cover blocks 10 are likewise provided with end and sidetenons 21 and 22 respectively similar to and oppositely disposed withrespect to the tenons 11 and 11 formed on the base blocks 7, the innerfaces of the side and end blocks fitting against the depending shouldersformed by the tenoning which shoulders like those formed on the baseblocks, thus act as stops.

The inner edges of said cover blocks 10 are likewise the sides and endsof the vault, thus leaving room rabbeted as shown in Fig. 2, the curvedprojections and depressions of the rabbet members being similar to thoseof the base blocks and side blocks, the projections being of greateroutward extent than the depth of the adjacent depressions, forming theinner and outer top grooves 22.

The various parts of the vault are assembled in the following manner:The base blocks 7 are laid, as shown in .Fig. 2, and the upper andlower grooves 13 between adjacent blocks, are filled with cement. Thegroove 12, which extends entirely around the outer edges of the baseblocks, is likewise filled with cement, and the side blocks are thenfitted in place thereon, with their under-cut portions in contact withthe sides of the shoulders resulting from the tenoning. Owing to theformation of the groove 12, in the base blocks, there will be a greatersurface exposed to the cement, resulting in a firmer and more perfectlywater-tight joint. The end blocks 8 are then fitted in place in asimilar manner with their projections 14 received in the grooves 19 ofthe outer side blocks, and their flat lower faces extending over thegroove 12. The grooves 20 between the end and adjacent side blocks, arein like manner filled with cement. The joint between the side and endblocks and the base block shoulders is then filled with cement from theinside, the cement filling said joint entirely and extending under andbeyond shoulders 15 and 17, as shown in Fig. 2, forming a tie extendingcompletely around the interior of the vault, and holding the end andside blocks firmly in place. The upper ends of the several blocks haveapplied thereto a layer of cement, and the cover blocks 10 are thenfitted in place thereon, the upper and lower grooves 22 between adjacentblocks being filled with cement in similar manner to the base blocks 7.The outer edges of the cover blocks do not extend as far as for anotherlayer of cement extending entirely around the top of the vault. Owing tothe provision of inner and outer groovesbetween each pair of adjacentpair of blocks, a more perfect water-tight joint is obtained than ifthere were but a single groove, as there are practically two separatejoints in each instance, thus giving double adhesion.

It will thus be seen that a vault constructed of independent blocksassembled and set together in the manner described, is practicallyintegral, and is as strong and impenetrable as though constructed ofsolid masonry or cement.

The formation of the oppositely disposed shoulders on the base and coverblocks by reason of the tenoning completely prevents any inward movementof the end or side blocks, thus holding the entire structure in shape,while the joint between the under-cut portions of said side and endblocks forms a rigid tie extending entirely around the vault,,on theinside thereof.

The various blocks comprising the cover bases, sides and ends of thevault, may be cheaply and readily cast, and being of approximately thesame shape and size may be packed with ease for shipping purposes.

What is claimed, is

In a portable grave vault, the combination of base and cover blocks, ands ide and end blocks, said side and end blocks being undercut on theirinner faces adjacent the lower edges thereof to form shoulders extendingover the upper face of said base blocks and disposed in spaced relationthereto to form a seat for a sealing composition, the inner faces ofsaid shoulders being downwardly inclined.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM A. CREW.

Witnesses Isaac L. PRICE, R. LEE WALLnn.

